Solo Leveling: Monarch of Knowledge (What If)

(Sunday, May 19, 2026 – 9:26 AM)

Adam recognized her immediately, the muscular woman with the large sword. The same one who had led the E-Rank raid.

Angela inhaled slowly, her voice rough when she finally spoke.

"It was a goblin dungeon."

The reporter, a woman with a solemn expression, gave a slight nod. "Goblin dungeons are considered manageable at E-Rank. What went wrong?"

Angela's lips tightened, her fingers gripping the blanket covering her lap.

"Goblins are weak, but they're ruthless. Numerous. They don't fight fair. They ambush, they overwhelm." She exhaled shakily before continuing. "At first, we only had two injuries, no deaths. One guy lost his left arm. He got careless, and they took it clean off. Another guy saved him, but he got stabbed in the liver in the process."

The reporter hesitated before asking, "What happened to them?"

Angela's gaze lowered.

"The one who lost his arm… he was done. PTSD hit him hard. When the mining team arrived to extract mana crystals and minerals, we sent him back with them. The other guy was still standing, still able to fight so he stayed with us."

She swallowed, her scarred hands trembling slightly.

"Then, we reached the boss room."

A moment of silence.

Angela's voice wavered, but she continued.

"That's when we lost five people."

The reporter's voice was gentle but firm. "Who… or what was the boss?"

Angela's jaw tightened.

"A D-Rank goblin. But not normal. He was wrapped in chains, shackles, but he used them as whips." She looked directly at the camera, her dark brown eyes haunted. "He moved too fast. Stronger than we expected. The moment we engaged, he ripped through us."

Angela lowered her head with her body trembling slightly.

"We also ran into elite goblins… E-Rank, but they were stronger than the normal E-Ranks, faster, more coordinated. We should've left when we had the chance."

She wiped her face, but her tears continued to fall.

"It's my fault." she whispered. "I should've pulled out sooner"

Adam sat in silence, watching as Angela, a hardened hunter, a leader, broke down on live television.

There was nothing left to say.

Adam stood up from the sofa, exhaling softly as he grabbed his wallet and keys before heading out. The apartment door clicked shut behind him, and soon, he was back on the streets of Alessandria.

The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of fresh bread, roasted coffee, and the distant hint of rain from the previous night. The city was awake, but not in a rush, people moved at a relaxed pace, enjoying their morning routines.

Adam walked at his own rhythm, his footsteps light but steady.

As he passed various storefronts, he let his thoughts wander. The news report still lingered in his mind. Death was always part of hunting, but seeing someone like Angela, once a strong leader, reduced to a broken state… it was a reminder.

Strength wasn't an option in this world. It was a necessity.

Soon, he spotted a café with a few outdoor tables, its glass windows reflecting the golden sunlight. The warm scent of pastries and coffee pulled him in.

Pushing the door open, Adam stepped inside, greeted by the quiet hum of conversation and the gentle clinking of plates.

A waiter approached, a young man with short hair and an easygoing smile.

"Good morning! What can I get for you?"

Adam's voice was calm but low. "A slice of pistachio cake and a cappuccino."

The waiter nodded. "Coming right up."

Taking a seat near the window, Adam leaned back, pulling out his phone.

He had already studied computer science, mathematics, and engineering. Now, it was time for something just as essential.

He began browsing medicine.

Not just basic human biology, but the depths of medical science, neurology, hematology, genetics, immunology. Every major and minor field.

As he scrolled, Awà worked in the background, extracting the useful information, filtering out outdated theories, optimizing and restructuring complex concepts into something clearer, more advanced.

The cake arrived first, a light green slice with a soft, rich texture, topped with crushed pistachios and a delicate glaze. The cappuccino followed, its foam swirled into a near-perfect spiral.

Adam took a slow bite of the cake.

The balance was good, sweet but not overpowering, the nutty richness melting effortlessly on his tongue.

He ate in silence, his eyes focused on the endless stream of medical knowledge flowing across his screen.

How the human body responded to trauma. The limitations of traditional medicine. The potential of cellular regeneration.

As Adam scrolled further, the focus of his study shifted to the human brain.

The most complex organ in the body. The source of consciousness, memory, perception, and will.

His eyes moved across the screen, taking in the latest neuroscience research, theories on cognitive function, and the structural intricacies of neural pathways.

[Host, integrating data.]

Awà's voice was as calm as ever, but this time, there was more.

The nano machines within his own body were collecting and refining knowledge that modern science could never detect.

[Neural mapping scans confirm that current technology vastly underestimates the brain's true potential. Human cognitive limitations are not due to lack of capacity but inefficiency in data processing.]

Adam leaned back slightly, taking a sip of his cappuccino. 'So intelligence, memory, and comprehension, they're not just set values?'

[Correct. Intelligence is a combination of synaptic efficiency, neural density, and optimized energy distribution. Memory is the result of structured encoding, recall pathways, and biochemical reinforcement. Comprehension relies on pattern recognition, predictive analysis, and associative learning. All of these can be modified.]

Adam's fingers tapped lightly against the table. 'Then… in theory, my brain functions could be increased? Not just intelligence, but reaction time, memory, even how I perceive time itself?'

[Theoretically, yes. However, the current human brain is not designed for extended high-speed processing. Overclocking it without adaptation would result in mental degradation, overheating, and eventual failure.]

Adam nodded slightly, taking another bite of his pistachio cake. The flavor was still there, but his mind was elsewhere.

'So the real issue isn't possibility. It's sustainability.'

[Precisely. Your neural structure can be reinforced, expanded, and optimized to handle higher functions, but without proper adaptation, the stress would be fatal.]

Adam thought for a moment. 'What about time perception? If my brain processes information faster, wouldn't that mean I'd experience time differently?'

[Yes. If your cognitive speed increases, external time would appear to slow down relative to your perception. However, maintaining such a state indefinitely would be energy-consuming.]

A small smile crossed Adam's lips. So even time itself wasn't absolute.

He swirled the remaining coffee in his cup before setting it down.

'Alright, Awà. Let's go deeper. Where does human will come from?'

A pause.

Then, her voice returned.

[Human will is a composite result of genetic predisposition, environmental conditioning, neurological structuring, and biochemical reactions. However, there is an anomaly.]

Adam's eyes narrowed slightly. 'An anomaly?'

[Despite all predictive models, human will does not always follow logical progression. Individuals defy survival instincts, exceed known biological limits, and act without clear evolutionary benefit. There is no quantifiable explanation for what humans define as "unbreakable determination."]

Adam leaned forward slightly, intrigued.

'So it's something beyond science?'

[Not beyond. Simply unexplained. The phenomenon remains outside current models of understanding.]

Adam exhaled through his nose, considering.

The body could be controlled. The brain could be optimized.

But will?

That was something even the most advanced calculations couldn't fully define.

Adam's mind sharpened as he returned to the neural structure discussion.

'What if I keep the nano machines healing continuously active while improving my brain?'

[Then the situation changes.]

Awà's voice carried a distinct shift.

[With nano healing active at all times, your brain could operate at 100% efficiency, free from degradation or damage.]

Adam's fingers tapped lightly against the table. 'So… no overclocking limit?'

[Correct. Your neurons would fire at maximum potential without risk of burnout. Cognitive strain, mental fatigue, none of it would exist.]

His eyes narrowed slightly. 'And would there be side effects?'

[Not drawbacks, enhancements. Continuous healing would force cellular reconstruction, leading to a permanent increase in neural density, synaptic speed, and processing capacity. Over time, this would result in exponential cognitive evolution.]

Adam exhaled slowly.

'A limitless mind.'

But there was always a catch.

'What's the cost?'

[Energy.]

Awà's voice remained even.

[The nano machines would require an immense amount of mana to sustain this process. Without a stable mana supply, the enhancement would be impossible.]

His jaw tightened slightly.

Everything came back to one thing.

Mana.

His thoughts condensed into a single conclusion.

'I need to awaken.'

[Agreed.]

Adam leaned back, his mind now fully set. He had entertained different ideas, different paths, but this was no longer just an option.

It was a necessity.

His dark eyes shifted to the counter.

"One more thing. Bring me a full pistachio cake, to go."

The waiter blinked at the unexpected request but nodded, quickly preparing it.

A few minutes later, Adam took the packaged cake, its warmth still faint through the box, and headed for the exit.

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